


What's Yours

by teprometo



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, Dom/sub, M/M, Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-07
Updated: 2013-02-07
Packaged: 2017-11-28 12:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/674406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teprometo/pseuds/teprometo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With his magic revealed, Merlin must find a way to reassure Arthur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's Yours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anna_unfolding](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anna_unfolding/gifts).



> The last of my holiday gift fics! I wrote this one based on Anna's prompt, which is potentially spoilery, so I'm putting it in the end notes.
> 
> Anna, I wanted to write you something epic, because you deserve it. I started working on this as soon as I got it and then hit a wall. I spent hours trying to add more to this, but the fic just wanted to end here. SORRY FOR THE FADE TO BLACK! It is very out of character for me. I hope you like it anyway. <3

Everything is under control until Arthur turns the corner just in time to see Merlin sending three armed men sprawling back, the heat of magic thick in the palms of his hands. Arthur’s face betrays his utter shock, and Merlin feels it too. He doesn’t even notice the building collapsing into rubble around him, only dully aware of anything but the shifting grip of Arthur’s hand on his sword.

But Arthur saves him anyway, rushes towards Merlin and hauls him away from the crumbling stone, drags him out into the forest and shoves him into the brush. He climbs beside Merlin, and they wait, silent, until they haven’t heard a single voice or hoofbeat in what feels like years.

Their horses are gone, and Arthur is injured. Merlin patches up the wound as well as he can using leaves, and Arthur watches carefully as though waiting for the moment Merlin sneaks a little magic into it. But Merlin doesn’t use magic, just presses the makeshift poultice between Arthur’s leg and his trousers and says they need to find a real doctor.

Their journey to the nearest hamlet is eerily silent, and Merlin walks a few steps in front of Arthur the whole time. He offers this, lets Arthur have his wariness, because Arthur has allowed Merlin his life. So far, at least.

The hamlet has an inn, a single room attached to the tiny tavern. Merlin arranges their stay and makes ready a bath for Arthur. He leaves Arthur to bathe and seeks out the doctor, a strikingly tall young man with a northern accent. He gives Merlin a salve and some clean bandages and sends him away, too busy watching after a young girl delirious with fever to see to the king himself.

Arthur is still soaking when Merlin returns. He looks up from the murky bath water and meets Merlin’s eyes for one brief moment before looking past him. He stands wordlessly, allows Merlin to dry him, to guide him to the bed. Merlin applies the poultice and wraps Arthur’s wound in the clean bandages. Then, for the first time in his life, he bows before Arthur, and he means it. He gets on his knees and lowers his head until it touches the floor at Arthur’s feet, his hands clasped behind his back.

“What are you doing?” Arthur says finally, the first words between them in hours.

Merlin doesn’t know how to express what it is he’s doing other than to say, “I’m showing you what’s yours.”

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt:
> 
> "Arthur's found out about Merlin's magic and is troubled bc he thinks Merlin's too powerful to be his servant/best friend anymore. Merlin has to really work to show Arthur how much he still wants to belong to him, serve him, submit to him, even if Merlin is the most powerful sorcerer/drangonlord in Albion. HOW DOES MERLIN CONVINCE HIM."


End file.
